Hands On Project Cube (It’s A Square Enix Shooter)

One of the more unusual offerings at E3 was Project Cube, an Xbox Live Arcade title developed by Square Enix. It’s not a puzzle game, based on an existing franchise, or a RPG.

Project Cube shares more in common with dual analog stick shooters like Robotron and Geometry Wars than it does with Dragon Quest. You move with the left stick and fire laser beams with the right stick. When one of the cubes dies it explodes into a pile of blood. How… postmodern.

The glowing cube killer also has two other abilities. It can dash into cubes and stun them. Tackled cubes turn yellow and die in a single shot. The other move is sort of like a psychic shield. Hold the left trigger to freeze and collect laser beams fired from enemies. Let go of the trigger to send the laser beams flying back. Unlike Geometry Wars your character has a life bar so you won’t die after one hit.

Square Enix limited the E3 demo to a four minute survival round at E3, but Project Cube also has a multiplayer mode. Twin stick laser dodging and bullet freezing should be more fun with friends so I’m going to keep an eye out for the final version of Project Cube.

I still don’t get all of the support that Squeenix is giving to the XBOX and XBLA. They could increase their sales by quite a bit if they released it on PSN, although I guess the shooter market is a bit saturated on PSN nowadays.

Serge73

Some people say that Microsoft may offer money for exclusivity, and SE has said they’re going after the Western Market moreso too.

That being said, it doesn’t really seem to be going so great. I guess some of their games are doing okay…but not nearly like the ps1/2 days…

jarrodand

How about Wii? Y’know, that machine that just broke PS2 sales records (in both hardware AND software) and is desperately hungry for 3rd party content?

I get bitching about 360 centered support, but suggesting PS3 in the next breath sort of kills that.

Mazen

Square Enix games in Wiiware (like MLAAK, FFiv After) are real games not these mini games, to this moment they are giving Wiiware the things that matters IMO.

It might be an online code issue. Yosumin and Project Cube are online enabled game so they’re configured for Live and not PSN. Crystal Defenders made it to PSN, but for whatever reason it’s not out in North America.

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